


Guardian

by OrionRedde, Shyrstyne



Series: Cometverse [29]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Werecreatures, Nonbinary Xion (Kingdom Hearts), lea is a dad he cannot escape this fact
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-02-28 07:10:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18751525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrionRedde/pseuds/OrionRedde, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shyrstyne/pseuds/Shyrstyne
Summary: Roxas and Xion learn what a mom is.





	Guardian

**Author's Note:**

> fun fact this was *also* supposed to go up before It's Catching. next time i leave town for an extended period of time I am definitely bringing my timeline with me, because apparently i am terrible at remembering these things.
> 
> ..... we were also really excited to get to the kids changing, what can we say.

“Yeah we’re gonna go see my mom in the Garden for a bit, after that I dunno. Probably go exploring.” Sora says cheerily. Kairi nods in affirmation and Riku sips his drink calmly. Roxas and Xion sit across from them, nursing their own drinks. They were at the bistro in Twilight Town, enjoying the sunny summer weather and quiet afternoon.

Roxas tilts his head, and Xion nudges him.

“Hayner mentioned that before too.” Roxas says.

“Mentioned what?” Sora asks.

“His mom.” Xion clarifies. “It’s a person, right? But he didn’t really seem to want to answer us when we asked what exactly that meant.”

Sora gapes for a moment, Riku looks up sharply, and Kairi just looks sad.

“A mom is like..” Sora tries. “Someone who takes care of you, makes sure you’re okay, helps you grow up.”

“Someone who’s always there for you, helps you learn.” Kairi adds.

Riku adds nothing, Sora reaches out to grasp one of his hands and smiles, receiving a soft smile of his own in return.

Roxas and Xion glance at each other, communicating without having to actually say anything.

“So... like Axel.” Roxas says.

“And Lea, now.” Xion adds with a nod and smile.

“Wait, n- ow! Kairi!” Sora tries to interrupt, but has his foot trod on by Kairi, who is grinning widely.

“Yeah, he took care of you guys when you first formed right? Sounds like a mom to me!” She says. Sora pouts and Riku casts an aside glance at her.

“You’re  _ technically _ right..” He starts, trying to sort out how to clarify, but Kairi only grins wider.

“Well I think we should be off! It’s a few hours to Radiant Garden and we want to get there before nightfall. Bye Xion, Roxas!” She chirps, giving both of them quick hugs before dragging Sora and Riku away, Sora protesting the whole way and Riku just shaking his head in exasperation.

Roxas looks to  Xion.

“Wanna go to the clocktower?” He asks. They think for a moment before shaking their head.

“No I want to go see Lea. He said he had something for us when we came home next, remember?”

“Oh yeah!” He brightens, and then jumps out of the chair. “Let’s go!”

They jog to the bar hand in hand, grinning the whole way. Comet’s tending the front, and grins brightly seeing them come in.

“Hey cubs, how was Sora?”

“He wasn’t here earlier?” Xion asks.

“Nah he was, but considering how fast that kid gets in trouble I feel the need to ask.” They say, pouring whiskey into a glass and handing it to the silver haired wolf sitting on the stool in front of them.

“Like attracts like.” The wolf mutters, and Comet mock scowls at her. She just grins back, and Comet turns their attention back to Roxas and Xion, pulling them both into a hug before shooting them upstairs.

“Go on, Lea should be in the den.” 

They nod and the two of them disappear upstairs. Lea is lounging on the couch, back against the armrest and a novel in hand. He looks up as they enter and smiles brightly, sitting up and setting his book aside.

“Hey, how was your last trip? How was Sora and company?” He pulls them in for a tight hug, which they return with enthusiasm.

“It was good! We saw a world that was underwater, but not like how atlantica is underwater. There were all sorts of crystals there that glowed and were really pretty!” Xion says.

“And Sora’s good. He said they were gonna go visit his mom after.” Roxas answers the second part.

“Oh! And they told us what a mom is!” Says Xion excitedly. Roxas nods enthusiastically.

“It’s like you!”

“Wh… what?” Lea is taken aback.

“Yeah! Someone who takes care of you and helps you learn and grow up, is what they said. So that makes you our mom, right?” Roxas says.

“Ah- I mean with that definition-” Lea’s voice cracks suspiciously. “I guess.”

Xion frowns.

“You don’t like it.”

“I’m sorry, we just thought-” Roxas starts to fret, and Lea shakes his head, leaning forward a bit and surreptitiously rubbing at his cheeks.

“You’re not wrong, it’s fine. Sorry just- give me a sec.” He huffs a sigh, tipping his head back and gathering his thoughts. Roxas and Xion wait patiently.

“Okay, so yes, that is one definition of a mother. Someone who raises you, takes care of you and teaches you.” Lea starts. “It’s a big responsibility, and typically that word is only used for women.”

They blink.

“Oh.” Says Xion. “Only women can be mothers?”

“Thats.. A more complicated question than it sounds, Xion, but generally speaking yes.”

Roxas frowns. “That’s not fair though. Boys can do all those things.  _ You _ did, for us.”

Lea looks like he’s getting choked up again, but swallows the lump in his throat.

“Sure they can. They’re just called fathers or dads instead.”

“Oh!” They both exclaim.

“They’re both just words, and they mean the same thing,” Lea clarifies. “I just wanted to make sure you knew the difference because you’d probably get confused by something later otherwise.”

“So we wouldn’t call you mother, we’d call you father.” Xion nods, confirming. Roxas holds his hand out and they high five, celebrating learning something new.

Lea coughs, blushing hard.

“A-anyway I got you guys some things. I’ll be right back.”

He goes upstairs and leans against the wall of his room for a moment, trying to swallow the lump in his throat.

Stars, though. It doesn’t really matter which they call him, mother or father. He doesn’t think he deserves either title. 

He gives himself a shake and gathers the small package that has been sitting on the desk all week before heading back downstairs. Comet’s there with Roxas and Xion now, and they give a wave as he comes back down.

“Adira’s the only one down there so I thought I’d take a quick break and say hi.” They explain at his quirked brow.

“Ah.” He says. “Good though, I got the stuff for you two.” He sets the package on the table and starts to unwrap it.

“What is it?” Roxas tries to poke into Lea’s space and get a look before he’s finished, and Lea elbows him away with an amused grin.

“Hold your horses kid, I’m gettin there. I figured, well, I know you two haven’t decided on birthdays yet, but at this point we’ve missed at least one already so we thought we’d get you a little something.” He pulls the first item out, a thick, hardcover book that he hands to Xion.

“Types of Shells and Where They Came From,” They read the title aloud and then clutch it to their chest in delight. “Oh thank you! I love it already!” 

Comet grins and ruffles their hair.

“You seem to really like your shells, I thought you might like to know more about them.” They say, and Xion gives them and then Lea tight hugs both.

Lea pulls out the next items and hands them to Roxas. It’s a plastic tray with shapes pushed into it, and he turns it over in confusion.

“What is it?” He asks. Lea chuckles.

“It’s a mold, here.” He hands the second item to Roxas. It’s also a book, with ‘How to Make Ice Cream’ emblazoned across the cover, and in smaller print below ‘hundreds of different flavours!’ He looks up with stars in his eyes.

“You can use the mold to make the ice creams.” Comet explains. “We thought you’d like a way to get your ice cream fix when you’re away from home.”

“And maybe experiment a bit with the flavours and shapes for fun.” Lea adds. Roxas practically jumps on Lea for a hug.

“Thank you! I’m gonna try it right away!” 

Lea laughs. “Glad you like ‘em, but don’t run off too soon. You just got here.”   


“At least stay for dinner.” Comet adds. “I’ve got a roast in the slow cooker.”

“Of course, we wouldn’t miss it.” Xion confirms.

They chat for a bit before Comet realises they should probably head back downstairs, giving both kids affectionate hugs before they do. They lounge around the den, Roxas and Xion reading their new books and showing the cool tidbits to each other and to Lea as they find them.

It makes Lea’s heart swell to see them enjoying themselves this way, sprawled across the floor and reading without a care in the world.

The sun is just starting to set when Roxas rolls on his back, thinking deeply.

“Hey Lea?” He asks. Lea looks up from where he’s been appearing to read but really mostly trying not to fall asleep.

“Yeah kiddo?”

“If a woman is a mother, and a man is a father… what would Comet be?”

Xion looks up as well, curiosity written on their face.

Lea is so very glad Comet had once offhand mentioned something along those lines to him, or he would be so  _ very _ out of his depth right now.

“Ren, I think. I’m pretty sure it’s short for Parent, but uh. You’d have to ask Comet, honestly.”

Even if ‘mentioning’ was only so much as ‘ _ I am way too young to be a ren to a sixteen year old and yet. Here I am. With two of them. Three if you count Sora. _ ’

_ ‘They’re actually only like.. Two if you want to get technical.’ _ He’d responded.

_ ‘They are  _ **_functionally_ ** _ in their teens don’t be a butt.’ _

It’s a fond memory.

He resolutely does not think about how if Comet is their Ren then that makes him a father at least by association. He knows he hasn’t done good enough by these kids for it.

“Oh okay.” Roxas goes back to his book, question answered. Lea sighs.

Dinner is a late but excitable affair, chatter flowing across the table, Xion and Roxas telling all sorts of tales about their latest excursion, Lea and Comet updating them about the things that have happened on the home front. It’s warm and sweet, and they all lay down to bed later with full stomachs and hearts.

Roxas and Xion leave the next morning, planning on going to see Ventus, Aqua and Terra, but making sure to mention they won’t be gone long this time. They exchange hugs, and the two wave enthusiastically as they go out the door.

“Bye dad! Bye ren!” Roxas calls out, and then they’re gone, leaving Comet and Lea standing at the bar.

Lea feels the tears burning in his eyes before he even registers what he’s feeling. Comet sniffles tellingly next to him.

“You told them didn’t you.” They elbow him gently in the gut. He wipes at his eyes, trying to contain his grin but failing.

“They were just asking about terms and I answered, I swear. They didn’t even know what a mom was yesterday.” He sobers at that last part. Some mom he was, not even teaching his kids such basic things.

Comet pulls him in for a hug, which he returns gratefully.

“I wish they’d stay home so we could teach them all this shit properly.” He laments. Comet sniffles.

“Yeah. It’s easy to forget sometimes how young they are.”

“We’re disasters as parents.”

“We’re trying.” Comet sighs. “I think our next gift needs to be some workbooks though. Something to just.. I don’t know. Teach them some of the stuff we might have missed. Their knowledge is so patchwork though it’s hard to tell what they know and what they don’t sometimes.”

Lea nods. “We’ll figure something out. Ask around maybe.”

“Yeah, I think one of my regulars might be a teacher, I’ll probe him a bit next time he’s in. And Lea?”

“Yeah?”

They lean up, kissing the end of his nose and grinning mischievously.

“Congrats on officially becoming a father.”

He groans dramatically and buries his face in their shoulder to hide his blush as they laugh.

**Author's Note:**

> me and orion banging pots and pans outside lea and comets house: YOU'RE A DAD LEA. ACCEPT YOUR PARENTAL ROLE IN THESE KIDS LIVES. YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO. YES YOU FUCKED UP BEFORE. BE AN ADULT AND SHAPE UP. BECAUSE YOU'RE A DAD NOW.


End file.
